A person's cholesterol levels may depend not only on what he or she eats, but also how often, according to UK researchers.

     英国研究人员发现，人体胆固醇浓度的高低不仅取决于个人的食物，还取决于其进餐的次数。

    They found that middle-aged and older adults who ate frequently throughout the day had lower “bad'' cholesterol levels compared with those who tended to down one or two large meals per day. This was despite the fact that the frequent eaters, on average, had a higher calorie and fat intake.

    他们发现在中老年人中，一天进餐次数多的人，其“坏”胆固醇浓度低于那些每天仅饱餐一、两顿的人，尽管，进餐次数多的人卡路里和脂肪的平均摄入量会更高些。

    The explanation could rest in the different metabolic responses to these eating patterns, the study's lead author, Kay-Tee Khaw, told Reuters Health.

原因可能是对于不同的进餐方式，人体会作出不同的代谢反应。该项研究的带头人Kay-Tee Khaw对路透社健康专栏的记者如是说。

    Khaw and her colleagues at the University of Cambridge report the findings in the December 1st issue of the British Medical Journal.

    Khaw与她剑桥大学的同事们在12月1日出版的《英国医学杂志》上报告了这一发现。

    The researchers looked at data on more than 14,600 men and women aged 45 to 75 who were part of a larger cancer study. Participants were asked about their current eating habits and activity levels, and had their cholesterol levels, blood pressure and weight recorded.

    研究人员在一项癌症研究课题中，对14，600多名年龄在45到75岁的男性和女性的数据进行了分析。研究人员询问了被调查者目前的饮食习惯以及运动情况，并对他们的胆固醇情况、血压和体重作了记录。

    Khaw's team found that participants' total cholesterol counts declined as their eating frequency increased. Those who ate at least five or six times a day had the lowest total cholesterol, on average, while the highest measurements were found among those who dined only once or twice a day. The same pattern showed up for LDL (''bad'') cholesterol.

    Khaw的研究小组发现，被调查者体内胆固醇总量随着其进餐次数的增加而有所下降。一天至少进餐五、六次的人，他们的胆固醇浓度最低。而胆固醇浓度最高的则是那些一天只进餐一到两次的人。低密度脂蛋白（“坏”）胆固醇含量的高低也呈现出相同的情况。

    “Our data show a decrease of approximately 5% in concentrations of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in men and women who eat six or more times a day compared with those who eat once or twice a day,'' the researchers report.     研究人员称：“我们的数据显示，每天进餐六次或六次以上的人，其胆固醇总浓度及低密度脂蛋白胆固醇含量比每天进餐一到两次的人低近5个百分点。

    Frequent eaters did not, however, have higher levels of ''good'' HDL cholesterol, which is believed to help protect the heart from disease.

    但进餐次数多的人，体内“好”高密度脂蛋白（一种有助于预防心脏病的物质）的含量并没有相对较高。

    According to Khaw's team, their findings are “particularly striking'' in light of (鉴于；基于对…的考虑)the fact that frequent eaters tended to consume more calories, including calories from fat.

据Khaw的研究小组说，考虑到进餐次数多的人能消耗更多的卡路里（包括脂肪转化而来的卡路里）这样一个事实，他们的发现就特别令人惊叹。

    Yet the findings are biologically plausible（似是而非的）, Khaw explained. Animal research, she said, has shown that those given infrequent large meals show metabolism patterns different from animals fed more often----including a higher absorption of sugar in the intestines, higher after-meal peaks of the sugar-regulating hormone insulin, and greater activity in enzymes that synthesize cholesterol.

    Khaw解释道，这一发现从生物学角度来看是似是而非的。她说，对动物的研究表明，喂食次数少的动物，其新陈代谢的情况与喂食次数多的动物存在着不同。这些不同包括，喂食次数少的动物，其肠对糖份的吸收程度更高，餐后糖控荷尔蒙胰岛素的分泌更多，合成胆固醇的酶的活动也更频繁。

    As for humans, Khaw said, “it could also be that frequent eaters metabolize what they eat rather differently than infrequent eaters.''

    至于人类，Khaw说：“同样也存在着进餐次数多的人与进餐次数少的人对摄入物的代谢情况不同的现象。”

    She pointed out that frequent eaters may also get more exercise, spurring their need to eat more often ---- although she noted, her team tried to control for this factor in the study.

    她指出，进餐次数多的人一般也运动得较多，这就促使他们需要进餐更多次，她的研究小组在研究中已经对此因素作了调控。

    Despite the higher calorie and fat intake among frequent eaters in this study, the findings do not give people license to gorge on French fries, Khaw cautioned.

    Khaw告诫说，尽管，进餐次数多的人卡路里和脂肪的平均摄入量会更高些而其“坏”胆固醇浓度低于那些每天仅饱餐一、两顿的人，但这并不是说人们可以肆无忌惮地大嚼法式炸土豆条。

    “We should stress that our data do not provide evidence for advocating frequent snacking on junk food,'' she said.

她说：“需要强调的是，我们的研究结果并不是倡导人们常吃那些‘垃圾食品’。”

    Khaw advised that people who wish to hold down their cholesterol levels “should first and foremost'' eat more fruits and vegetables and cut their saturated fat intake.

    Khaw建议那些希望降低胆固醇浓度的人“应该首先要”多吃水果和蔬菜，减少饱和脂肪的摄入。

    “Changing meal frequency,'' she added, “might be an additional strategy.''

    她同时补充说：“改变进餐的次数或许是一个不错的辅助手段。”